


Christmas, Strangers, and Cocktails

by Dark_Angel23



Series: 25 Days of Christmas- Prompt Challenge [6]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arthur gets attached to Merlin, Awesome Gwen (Merlin), Christmastime, Getting Together, Gwaine Being Gwaine (Merlin), Gwaine ships merthur, M/M, Minor Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Platonic Gwen/Gwaine/Merlin, Shipper Gwen, Strangers to Lovers, cocktails, doing a kind deed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27912922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Angel23/pseuds/Dark_Angel23
Summary: 25 day Christmas Prompt Challenge- Day 5Christmas Cocktails‘Son of famous businessman Uther Pendragon, Arthur Pendragon, seen swimming with ducks and quacking in a pond.’Arthur shuddered.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: 25 Days of Christmas- Prompt Challenge [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2039365
Kudos: 49





	Christmas, Strangers, and Cocktails

**Day 6- Christmas Cocktails**

Merlin looked skeptically at the laptop screen in front of him, and then up at Gwaine’s face, who was looking at him expectantly.

“I knew you were a drunkard, Gwaine, but this is crazy, even for you.”

“Why, asking a stranger to share a cocktail with you is a crazy idea?”

“Yes!”

“And why is that, exactly?” Gwaine’s voice was cool, with a hint of amusement at Merlin’s annoyance.

Which flared when he noticed this.

“Because it’s a stranger!”

“So what?”

Merlin took a deep breath to calm himself down, but it didn’t work. He was still fuming.

“So what?! Gwaine, I have  _ crippling _ social anxiety!”

“And Christmas is the perfect time to get you out of this.”

By this point Merlin knew that Gwaine wasn’t going to budge. But it didn’t stop him from trying. “Gwaine…” He whined.

“Merlin….” Gwaine mocked. “Come on, get to work.”

*****

Arthur was positively _ fuming.  _ He knew that his father was unreasonable, to the point of being a bastard, but he didn’t expect this.

Not being allowed to attend Christmas with his family because he made a bad investment?

Preposterous!

He kicked a stone down the path, and seriously considered going to a pub and drinking himself into oblivion, but discarded it as quickly as it had come. There was no way to know what he would do, and he really didn’t need a lawsuit in his hands. Or an embarrassing story in the press. He wondered what the headline would be.

_ ‘Son of famous businessman Uther Pendragon, Arthur Pendragon, seen swimming with ducks and quacking in a pond.’ _

Arthur shuddered.

“Son of a bitch….” He muttered, kicking the stone again. “Fucking bastard... Thinks of himself as so high and mighty….. If it wasn’t for me the company would have sunk a long time ago….” He kept muttering insults under his breath until someone interrupted him.

“Wow, mate. Who is this and what have they done that they deserve such words?” A male voice came from somewhere on his left, and was tinged with amusement. It was enough to make his anger flare again.

He whipped around, words ready on the tip of his tongue….

To only crawl back down his throat to die.

Before him was standing the most beautiful man he had ever seen. No, not handsome,  _ beautiful. _

From what Arthur could see in the dim light, he was tall and slim, to the point of being skinny. Most of the man’s facial features were hidden under the hood of his jacket, but he could make out pale skin, raven black hair to rival his sister’s and the most stunning pair of crystal blue eyes he had ever seen in his life. In the soft yellow lamplight, he looked almost ethereal.

As Arthur watched, the man grinned. “Hello, I’m Merlin,” He said, holding out his hand.

“Arthur.” The blond answered, holding out his own and shaking his. Merlin’s smile widened. “You seem in a bad mood. And no one deserves to be so during Christmas. Want to come over and share a few cocktails?”

“Alright.”

*****

Merlin was halfway through his third martini when the bell rang. He moved his eyes from the captivating man in front of him and to the door, which swung open to reveal two people.

“For God’s sake Merlin, why don’t you lock the door? Have you managed to lose your keys again?” Gwaine’s voice floated over to them, punctuated by a groan of pain as Gwen, who had accompanied him, smacked him over the head.

“Can’t you see he has someone over?” She hissed.

Merlin wasn’t as drunk to shoo them away, as he really wanted to, so he called them over. “It doesn’t matter guys, come over. I’ve still got stuff, thanks to him.” He nodded towards Gwaine, who was looking at Merlin and his guest with a grin on his face.

Gwen chuckled, and came over and sat down on the couch, accepting the sangria that Gwaine offered to her with a smile.

Merlin noticed Arthur watching Gwen, and couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. But the goal of his little act of kindness was to make a stranger happy, Arthur in this case, and if he found happiness in Gwen, then well, Merlin would be proud to say that he was the one to make them meet. Even if it was technically Gwaine’s idea.

The night passed without a hitch, and all four of them passed out on the couch in the living room.

Merlin had been surprised to know that the stranger was actually the heir to Pendragon Industries, but decided not to let that titbit bother him. He’ll probably never see him again.

Or that’s what he thought.

Arthur kept returning to his flat, and became a part of their little group, consisting of himself, Gwen, and Gwaine. Merlin thought it was because of Guinevere, so imagine his surprise when Arthur asked him out one evening, with Gwaine whooping and hollering in the background.


End file.
